The present invention generally relates to ironing aids, and more specifically to a safety ironing stand mountable on of ironing board for maintaining the heated portions of the iron covered during periods of non-use in both the normal upright position of the ironing board and in the knocked-down condition thereof.
The use of stands for flatirons is well known. The known iron stands are typically in the form of metallic bases or plates which are intended to support the heated irons during periods of non-use. These iron bases are normally planar and are provided with an upwardly projecting lip or protuberance which conforms to the shaped of the heated portion of the iron which rests on the base. The lip prevents the iron from slipping off the base under normal conditions and, to that extent provides a limited measure of safety.
However, the known iron stands exhibit several disadvantages. Thus, since the above-mentioned bases or plates merely serve as support surfaces for the irons, they do not substantially enclose the irons or cover the heated portions thereof. The known enclosures for irons are normally for storage only and are not adapted for supporting an iron during short periods of non-use. Most known ironing stands are not provided with insulation. For this reason, such stands become heated and may injure a person contacting the same. Most known stands of the type described above are merely placed on the top surface of an ironing board, there being no provision normally made for securing the stand to the ironing board. Herein lies a major disadvantage of prior art stands. Not only do they fail to cover the heated portions of the iron when the iron stand is supported on an upright ironing board, but there is no means provided for maintaining engagement between the iron and the stand when the ironing board is knocked down from its normal upright position. When the ironing board is knocked down, the iron normally becomes dislodged from the stand with the result that all the heated surfaces of the iron become exposed. Such a possibility becomes a major reason for concern when the operator leaves the iron unattended and the ironing board is knocked down by a small child. Under these circumstances, even the limited protection which the stand provides in the upright position of the ironing boards is lost.
A further disadvantage of prior art stands is that they support the irons with heated plates disposed below the handles of the irons. With this arrangement, the heat which rises from the heated plates heats the handles. When the irons are maintained on a stand in this manner for an extended period of time, the handles may become heated to a point where they are uncomforatable to grip.
The present invention is intended to overcome the above and other disadvantages of known ironing stands. More specifically, the stand of the present invention provides a great degree of safety to those promimate to the iron irrespective whether the stand is supported on an upright or knocked - down ironing board. Further, the subject stand maintains the iron in a non-ironing, vertical position which causes minimum heating of the iron handle. These features are achieved with a simple and economical construction which is readily mounted on an ironing board and easy to use.